Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Should sellers turn off the utilities in an empty house for sale? NEVER!

In
yesterday’s blog (Unpaid
Utility Bills Can Be a Big Problem for Sellers and Buyers Alike) I
discussed all of the problems that can occur due to unpaid utilities in a home
that is being sold. This is not to say, however, that a home for sale should
not have electricity even if it is vacant during the time that it is for sale
on the market. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

Many
times sellers that are vacating a home for sale will turn off all utilities
before moving to a new location. This can cause a myriad of problems and it is
always better to leave all utilities in service even if the property will be
unoccupied for a long period of time. Here are some of the reasons that sellers
should not have the utilities turned off during this time.

Security and
Safety

Whether
a home has a functioning security system or not even a few lights with timers
are a good idea in a vacant home. Unoccupied homes are a definite target for
burglars and a dark home night after night is a welcome sign for thieves. There
is also the question of safety for agents and buyers alike. The last thing a
seller needs is for someone to fall down a dark flight of steps in their unlit
home, right?

Maintaining the
Home

Extreme
heat or cold can severely damage any home. It’s not only frozen water pipes
bursting that can cause damage. The expansion and contraction of wooden door
frames, window frames and even hardwood floors can cause a lot of damage as
well and it’s best to keep the temperature within a home at a moderate level to
prevent this from occurring. The cost of repairing these types of problems is
much greater than the low monthly utility costs to prevent them.

Showing the Home

How
long would you spend inside of an unheated home in the middle of February or a
stifling hot residence in August? Not very long I would imagine and that’s how
interested buyers will feel during a showing of your empty house. If you are
selling your home it needs to be comfortable enough for interested parties to
tour the home in reasonable comfort and safety.

Appraisals and
Inspections

If
the buyer is financing the purchase of your home with a lender an appraisal
will be necessary in order for them to obtain the loan. Without utilities the
appraiser cannot verify that everything is in working order and the loan could
be denied. A home inspector will face the same challenges and if unable to
verify proper water pressure, working outlets and many other things the
inspector will not be able to complete their task.

Finally,
there is the final walk through in which the buyer verifies that the home is in
the same condition as it was when they first viewed it. Again, that’s not
possible without working utilities. In the end the sale of a home can be
stopped dead in its tracks due to these types of situations.

But what about
the added expense?

Many
sellers are concerned with the additional cost of paying utilities in 2
separate homes at the same time and rightly so.It’s important for agents showing the home to be sensitive to this fact
and to help in keeping the utility costs as low as possible during this period
of time.

It’s
a simple matter to make sure that all of the lights are turned off after a
showing, to close all drapes and blinds, lower the thermostat and ensure that
all water valves are turned off as well. Simple courtesy and cooperation
between all involved will guarantee that the expenses associated with leaving
the utilities active will be quite minimal.